


CatBoy Cafe

by ThatRadFailure



Category: BioShock 1 & 2 (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Catboys, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern Universe, Animal Transformation, Body Horror, Catboys, Cats, Eating, Implied/Referenced Animal Abuse, Implied/Referenced Broken Bones, Medical Experimentation, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, That's a really odd thing to say out of context tbh, Trans Atlas, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Yeah because Fontaine doesn't like that his cat is trans, animal to human transformation, body morphing, minor Transphobia, syringes, tags to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:41:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29005458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatRadFailure/pseuds/ThatRadFailure
Summary: Frank Fontaine and Andrew Ryan have found a way to turn cats into mostly humans. Ryan creates a cafe for his cats, but Frank has other ideas.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 9





	1. New Beginnings

Andrew Ryan sat in the back room of his home, watching his beloved cat, Augustus, closely. The tuxedo cat sat on the window’s ledge, looking out to his partner, a stray Norwegian forest cat, seemingly admiring the huge cat’s looks. Ryan shook his head a little, taking a sip from his tumbler of whiskey. Fontaine had told the man he had something to show him, something amazing that would guarantee to be a big time money maker, but specified to bring Augustus. Ryan had no idea what he was referring to, but he was open to hearing about it.

Finally, the bald business partner (even though he was younger than Ryan) entered, carrying a briefcase in one hand, and a carrier with his own cat in the other.

“Late as always.”

“Had to make an entrance, Andy.” Fontaine set the briefcase on the table of the small library, the cat carrier being set on the ground. “‘Sides, gettin’ my little darling was tricky as always. But I have something truly amazin’ that me and that China man have been working on.” At that, he opened the briefcase. Ryan took to opening the carrier to let the calico cat out before looking in the case. Said cat ran out, immediately climbing to higher ground.

“Nonono, wait!” Frank dropped four little vials of hair samples, running to chase his cat, before coming to a stop in front of the bookcase. The cat hissed down to him, and the man just shook his head, returning to Andrew in defeat. He picked up the samples.

“Fine, I’ll get ‘er later. Look, Ryan, I’ve got us somethin’ that’s nothin’ short of a miracle. Check these out.” He handed the samples to Ryan, along with two papers. “They’re samples from our cats. One cat hair, the other, we changed to human.”

“So, you’ve found a way to make cats hypoallergenic? Hm, certainly a business opportunity indeed.”

“No, Ryan. You heard of catboys? Very popular on the internet.” Fontaine drew a syringe out of the briefcase, uncapping it. “I’ve found a way to create them. Just one more test is needed.”

He went to his cat, reaching out to the calico. But when his hand was met with furious swiping and hissing, his eye was drawn to Augustus, who was still looking at his partner, blinking contently at him.

“Frank, what the hell are you doing with the syringe?” Ryan inched his way in front of his cat protectively.

“Andy, think about it. The internet loves these catboys. We don’t even gotta sell ‘em off.”

“Frank. Tell me what that syringe does.”

“Nothin’ dangerous, Andy, I promise. But we’ve gotta test this stuff, and my cat ain’t cooperating.”

Ryan looked between his own precious cat, whom he had raised since he was a kitten. Augustus was such a beautiful cat, with his little white mustache on his little black face.

Before he could give or deny his consent, Fontaine barrelled past him, roughly picking up the cat and injecting him with whatever concoction was in that syringe. It was no wonder that his calico didn’t like him very much.

Ryan couldn’t even get a noise of surprise out before his cat was yowling in pain, the feline’s little body beginning to change and contort. Fontaine looked on with proud amazement, while Ryan looked on in horror. He could hear Augustus’ stray partner at the window, pawing and clawing at the glass to get through. 

The cat’s body grew, and oh how painful it looked to be. Bones, flesh, and organ, shifting from their tiny, elegant structures to something larger and bulkier. Toe beans turned to fingers, claws to nails, legs to arms, snout to nose, yowling of a cat to screams of a man. It looked so painful, as by the time he passed out from pain, the only things that remained of his previous cat body were pale markings on tanned skin, ears and a tail of a cat, and whiskers.

“It worked!” Fontaine’s excited words snapped Ryan out of his horrified trance. He promptly grabbed hold of his younger business partner’s dress shirt, and slammed him into the wall.

“What the hell did you do to my cat.” He growled. 

“Now now, Andy, he’ll be just-”

“Tell me.”

“I just gave him a lil’ bit of the stuff, and it rewrote his genetic code. No big deal, he’s a catboy now. Dress him up, photograph him, the internet will love him, and we can monetize him no problem.”

“I did not say I wanted this. What the hell went through your mind to do this to my cat?” Both could still hear the poor stray, putting all his strength into getting passed the barrier of glass. Ryan let go of Fontaine to let him in, a rarity. The poor cat raced to his partner, checking his breathing and all, before curling up to the former cat’s chest and purring, trying to make him feel better.

“Take Augustus to the guest bedroom and leave.” Ryan commanded coldly. “I’m taking your cat in the meantime. I do not trust you with her.” Grumpily, Fontaine complied, though was not all too comfortable with it, seeing as to how Augustus was now a naked man. Oh well, he thought. It would be Ryan’s problem now. As he left, the stray followed intently. His gaze on Fontaine was not friendly, as if to say, “lay another hand on my boyfriend and I will tear your face off.” The human huffed a chuckle. Sure, the stray was a very large one, but it couldn’t do much to a human.

Once Augustus was laid on the bed, the stray immediately joined, hissing at Frank, who shook his head with a scoff.

“Dumb thing,” he said, turning around to leave the room. Ryan stood in the doorway, with the briefcase in hand. He shoved it into Fontaine’s hands when he got near, but didn’t speak another word as the man left. Instead, his gaze turned to his cat and the stray that settled down next to him. It made the man feel sick, to see this happen. He just couldn’t look for too long, it made a heavy pit form in his stomach. Back to the library he went, to fetch the calico and give her a proper meal. She honestly didn’t even have a proper name.

What was Ryan going to do now?

He supposed he could make dinner. At least for the cats. He felt anything but hungry in that moment, but surely it would make the cats feel more comfortable. He was already going to get Fontaine’s cat something to eat, why not make it a little special for them?

That’s just what he did, making both the stray and the calico a delicious little meal. He honestly wasn’t the best cook, but he lived alone, so he and his specialty tuna cat meal would have to do.

After he took the calico a meal, he headed back to the guest room. Despite not really wanting to, he set the fragrant food dish on the bed near the stray. That’s when he noticed Augustus stir. He should’ve made more.

Augustus’ eyes opened slowly, and right away, Ryan could tell he didn’t feel right. His brow was furrowed, and he turned his head slowly to and fro, undoubtedly to examine his strange nose. After a slight moment of that, he brought up a ‘paw’, and promptly startled himself.

Jumping up, he scrambled off the bed, trying to stay on all fours as he looked for a place to hide. His stray partner looked thoroughly terrified, his meal spread about the bed.

“Auggie, Auggie,” Ryan cooed, attempting to calm the poor thing down. “Fontaine is gone. He will not do anything to you anymore.”

It was a sad and disturbing sight, seeing Augustus as a human, cowering in a corner in the room, ears down and tail fluffed. Ryan even knew he had nothing for the former cat to wear. He would undoubtedly get cold easily, being naked like that.

What was Ryan to do?

~~~

One week.

It had been a whole week since Fontaine turned Ryan’s beloved cat Augustus into a... catboy.

At least Augustus had settled down in that time, and begun to wear clothes. It wasn’t much, but it was a tank top and pair of shorts that Ryan had gotten him. Likely because they felt the most mobile compared to everything else. Along with the clothes, it seemed that he was getting used to using his human limbs. He began to walk upright around the house, wandering around to exercise the body. He especially seemed to enjoy being able to pick things up more efficiently, too. Previously, as a cat, Augustus had thumbs and liked picking up what he could. It seems that enjoyment had carried over. Often, Ryan would see him pick something up, just to hold it there for a moment, and then set it back down. Recently, he started investigating the objects he picked up, too.

Ryan thought it all over, sitting on the couch and pondering. It was truly a strange situation Frank Fontaine put him in.

That’s when Augustus came in, holding his stray partner that never left his side and the calico that had been Fontaine’s pet. Ryan looked over to them, and the former cat stood there a moment before heading over.

Sigh.

The tuxedo cat had always been a lap cat. It seemed that would not change, as he headed over to his owner, placing the cats on either side of him, and promptly climbing onto Ryan’s lap. He was heavy now, drawing a grunt from the businessman as he climbed up and laid down in his attempt of a loaf. One of Augustus’ elbows dug into Ryan’s gut, and the man’s attempt to move it didn’t work all too well.

The stray decided to join Augustus, hoping up onto the former cat’s back and loafing himself. Ryan wasn’t fond, because now he really couldn’t move anymore. He was uncomfortable, his stomach was being crushed, and yet he wouldn’t dare move. He couldn’t dare disturb the peace of such a beautiful cat. A cat that he was thinking about adopting now, or at least getting microchipped. A whole week was the longest that he stayed in the house, normally he left after half an hour.

The calico, on the other hand, decided to head to the arm of the couch instead, loafing there and keeping an eye on Ryan. She was a pretty cat, but had scheming eyes. Those scheming blue eyes seemed more human than the eyes of any other cat.

... Did Fontaine try something with her? Ryan wouldn’t put it past him, after he manhandled Augustus for that blasted injection. He probably had done some testing on the calico.

A knock at the door drew all eyes.

“Who is it?” Ryan called out. He didn’t really want any company, with Augustus on his lap.

“Frank. We’ve gotta talk, Andy! And you’ve gotta stop ignoring my calls!”

“Come in.” He supposed that Fontaine would be alright. “And I have not been ignoring your calls. You haven’t even called me once.”

“I’ve called you plenty!” Fontaine spat as he entered the lavish home. “Three times this morning!”

Ryan sighed softly, reaching over to the side table for his phone. Checking it, he... Had a lot more than just a few calls from Frank, all with a little symbol for the calls having been denied.

“Frank, I don’t hang up on calls.”

“Then Ryan, would you kindly tell me why you haven’t been pickin’ up?” Ryan thought for a moment, then looked to Augustus, who was staring at Fontaine with so much malice. If looks could kill, the bald man standing in the middle of the room would be nothing more than bones.

“You thinkin’ that dumb thing did it?” As the man motioned to the former cat, Augustus’ ears went down and he spat back, showing off his cat-like teeth as he did so. 

“He is not dumb, Frank. Do not call my cat dumb.”

“But he sure as hell ain’t smart enough to read, is he?”

“Frank. Now look-”

“Or maybe we could test it out?” Like a switch, Fontaine’s tone changed from accusatory to curiosity, a slight chuckle following his inquiry. “After all, intelligence is what we’re after, ‘sides from the right body.”

“It is what you are after. Not I.”

“Aw, c’mon, Andy! You don’t even have to monetize him specifically, but this- this is something amazing! People will love this!”

“This is exploitation and I can’t even get Augustus’ elbow out of my stomach.”

“That your cry for help?”

“Not for you, it is not.”

Frank rolled his eyes. He sauntered over to his calico, picking the cat up. It amazed Ryan that she allowed him to do that. Though, her humanly tired look seemed fitting.

“Has ol’ Andy been treatin’ you well, princess?” Frank cooed. The tired look in the calico’s eyes just grew, her ears going back. Neither man would have thought a cat could look so incredibly tired. “Is that a no, doll?” She growled, and promptly slapped Fontaine’s face. The bald man didn’t look as surprised as Ryan did, instead looking mildly inconvenienced.

“She’s always been a lil’ brat,” The calico slapped him again. “Ah, what can you do?”

“She has been behaving just fine for me.” Ryan said, still shocked at how fast the cat decided to slap her owner. But he couldn’t blame her, he wanted to slap him plenty as well.

“She has?” 

Ryan nodded, mindlessly petting Augustus’ head. “She has been very well behaved. It is a shame she doesn’t even have a name.”

“She has a name!” Fontaine sounded defensive, but Ryan swore the calico gave both men an unamused look. “I just... Happened to have forgotten it.”

“Fulvia.”

“What?”

“I’ve started calling her Fulvia. She was a Roman woman with powerful connections to three major gangs.”

“I’m not in any crime syndicate no more, Ryan.” He huffed. They both knew he’d been arrested before, after being the most powerful man in Boston. But that syndicate was disbanded and Fontaine moved away after being released.

“Regardless, it is still rather fitting.”

“I guess,” Fontaine looked away, a displeased look on his face. “But I came here to talk, Andy. About these catboys. We’ve got to do this.”

“Is it even legal?”

“What do you care about that? There ain’t no court rulin’s or anything! Besides, we ain’t gonna sell ‘em off! Just photograph them. Maybe open a cafe with them, or an amusement park, or... Somethin’ even better. You an’ I both know how ho-”

“Frank Fontaine! No way in Heaven or Hell would I do that!”

“You’re an atheist, though.”

“Atheist or not, I will not let you exploit them like that! It is exploitative and wrong!” Even Fulvia seemed to agree with Ryan, slapping her owner, though with her claws this time, which drew some blood. At this, Fontaine dropped the calico, quickly bringing his hands to his face.

“Gah! Stupid thing! How dare you!” He yelled out, but the cat seemed unbothered. “Never even done that before! What’s so different now?” Still, the calico just stood there, staring up at Fontaine with what seemed to be anger in those icy blue eyes. Frank’s brow then softened, his mouth curling into a smile as realization set in.

“She’s smart.” He whispered, bringing the tired look back to the cat’s face.

“Pardon, Frank?”

“She’s smart! Those injections worked!” He laughed, picking the cat up again. He held her up in a praising way. “She’s understandin’ us, Andy!”

“Put her down, she doesn’t like that.”

“Andy, come on, she can understand us!” Fulvia sighed. Blinking and looking around so tiredly, she clearly wanted down.

“How can you tell? Put her down, you can’t just say she’s intelligent without a test.”

“No, no, she needs a proper body. Where’s her carrier? I need to give her a body!”

“Frank!” But Ryan was pinned down by Augustus, who didn’t trust Fontaine at all, to the point where he didn’t want to move. The bald man ran off, returning with the cat carrier and Fulvia inside it.

“Ryan, I’ll be back in a bit, but she needs a proper body for that brain.” With that, Frank left, and Ryan sighed, looking to the cats on his lap.


	2. New Identities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the whole fiasco with Augustus, Fontaine decides to change his own cat into a humanoid. Said cat isn't too pleased with being transformed, and decides to take refuge at Ryan's

There was a knock at Ryan’s door.

He wasn’t expecting any visitors on this rainy night. No business meetings, no friends coming over for drinks, not even Fontaine.

Opening the door, it was his last expectation to see a woman there, in men’s clothes that clearly weren’t fitted to her form. Just a pair of jeans and dress shirt, no undershirt beneath. But Ryan’s eyes were drawn to her multicolored hair and cat ears.

“Fulvia?” He asked in amazement.

“Oi’m Atlas now. An’ a lad, not a lass. Ran away from Fontaine, ‘e was a huge creep. Moind if Oi stay with ya?” Ryan was speechless at the fluidity of Atlas’ ability to talk, and the Irish accent he possessed somehow. He moved aside to let the calico inside, blinking a little as he passed.

“Should... I get you a towel, then?”

“Oi’d loike that, thanks.” As soon as Ryan returned with the towel, he was shocked to see Atlas naked, wet clothes folded neatly on the coffee table.

“Atlas! Don’t just undress here!” He had to shield his eyes as he handed the towel over.

“Whot? Me body too feminine fer ya? Weren’t actin’ loike this when Augustus changed.” He replied snarkily, drying off his ears and tail before wrapping the towel around his waist. “On those television shows Fontaine watches, they’d get naked too.”

“I know exactly what you’re talking about, and those were very specific scenes that do not pertain to everyday life.” Ryan peaked, just to hide his eyes again. “I will see if I can get you something to wear.”

“Hopefully somethin’ t’ flatten this,” Atlas motioned over his chest. “Oi swear Oi ‘aven’t ‘ad any kittens. Can’t even have any, Oi don’t think.”

“Human bodies are just... Like that.” Ryan turned to head to the spare room that had become Augustus’ own. Atlas followed as casually as could be, though shivering a little in the cold that assaulted his bare, wet skin.

“Got anythin’ with suspenders?”

“No, I do not. Just mainly shorts and tank tops.”

“Hope it ain’t too much t’ ask, but Oi really loike th’ look o’ that.”

“No, no, it won’t be.” Ryan handed him the smallest pair of shorts and the most opaque tank top he could find from Augustus’ wardrobe.

“Those’re a bit big, ain’t they?” Atlas raised an eyebrow as he was handed the clothes.

“Perhaps, but what you have arrived in will need to be washed and dried. You have underwear, right?”

“What?”

“The clothing that goes underneath your pants?”

“Oh. Oi didn’t realize that was required fer me considerin’ Oi don’t-”

“I’ll order you some,” Ryan quickly said, “along with some properly fitting clothing. Dry yourself off all the way before dressing.”

“Thanks. Hey, y’ain’t gonna send me back to Fontaine, roight? Lad or lass, ‘e’s a creepy man. Makes me very uncomfortable.”

“No, I won’t.” Atlas gave the man a soft, grateful smile. The last thing he wanted was to be sent back to that creep that called himself Atlas’ owner. After Ryan shut the door, the calico unwrapped the towel and dried himself off completely. He dressed himself, and then looked around the room. It wasn’t that much different from his previous stay, save for looking a tad more used.

Atlas breathed a sigh of relief. He felt safe. Ryan clearly wasn’t interested in him, with how he had looked away from his naked body, unlike Fontaine. No, that creep hadn’t touched Atlas, but he was still just that, a major creep. The calico had seen what kinds of things that man was into, and it was unsettling in his opinion. And the looks. It always made the catboy tense up, sent a shiver down his spine, and put him on edge. The pure hunger in Fontaine’s eyes, everytime he looked at Atlas, was clear in it’s intentions. Everytime his eyes traced the former cat’s body.

Atlas had to wonder why. Admittedly, that stuff was kind of hot, likely because of being around it frequently. But it didn’t make him act weird towards Augustus last time he was here. And he was just as intelligent with all the same feelings last visit as he was now.

Really, Fontaine had a history of being a slight creep. Not just to Atlas, but to everyone the bald man brought home. Oh well, guess it was just a him thing, the calico supposed.

He quickly grew bored in the room. So he left to the living room.

In there, he spotted Augustus, looking out the window, to his cat partner that took shelter beneath the patio awning. Atlas took to joining him. The tuxedo cat merely spared him a glance. The calico had to wonder why the Norwegian forest was out there. Didn’t he want some better shelter? The rain was horrible, surely the stray would benefit from the dry inside of a house.

Atlas nodded to himself and stood up. He investigated the window to figure it out, then turned the latches and slid it open. He called out to the stray, trying to coax him inside. But the stray wouldn’t come.

“Don’t ya wanna come in where it’s dry, lad?”

“Likes the water.”

“Whot?” Atlas looked to Augustus, a little shocked that he was already figuring out how to speak.

“Likes the water.” The tuxedo simply replied, shutting the window. Atlas supposed that was the only response he was going to get. He still didn’t understand it, though. Even if his cat fur was regulated to just his ears and tail (and even then, it was more like human hair), the rain wetting it down was uncomfortable and heavy.

There was pounding at the front door.

Atlas jumped, his ears going down as he whipped his gaze around to the front door. He already knew it was Fontaine, but his mind raced with all the things he could say and do. It well and truly scared the calico. He thought he was safe here, but he had forgotten Fontaine had access to this place as well. It wasn’t completely safe. But it was safer than where he had been before.

Ryan jogged out from the hallway, clearly annoyed and confused at the pounding.

“Where is she?” Fontaine demanded when the door was opened. “Where the hell is my cat?” Atlas hid behind Augustus the best he could.

“Sh- He does not want to see you, Frank.”

“Don’t feed into that! She’s a cat, not a human!”

“You said it yourself, Frank, he’s intelligent. If that means he is transgender, than it means he is transgender. It also means that he can recognize that your behavior makes him uncomfortable and thus he should leave, which he has.” Ryan barred the shorter man from entering the house, giving him a thoroughly displeased look. Atlas grabbed the nearest thing he could think of as a weapon, a golf club, and held it close. He prayed that Fontaine would not be allowed near.

“Fine, fine, but he’s my cat, Ryan!”

“He is an intelligent being capable of the same thought patterns as us. He even speaks rather fluently. He cannot be owned.”

“Don’t you act like this,” Fontaine growled, baring his teeth and jabbing a finger into Ryan’s chest, “He. Is. Mine.”

“If you really want to own something,” Ryan sighed in response, “Get another cat that you will not turn into a... a catboy. Now, Atlas will be-”

“You let him even change his name?” Atlas could tell the neighbors could hear Fontaine’s yelling, and it scared him further. He wished he had been left as a cat, he felt far safer as a feline than as a human.

“He chose it. And it sounds far better than Fulvia. Now, Atlas will be staying here, and you will return home until you calm down. This is a consequence of your own actions, Frank. So you will deal with it.” Ryan began to shut the door, but Fontaine shoved a foot in to stop it. “Frank, I will call the police on you.”

“And then what?”

“You lose everything once again. The further we go into this catboy idea, the more I wish to stop working with you. I did not expect all of this when we became business partners.”

Fontaine finally gave up. His face was still contorted in anger, but he knew just as well as Atlas that he relied on his partnership with Ryan to live as he did. With the angriest huff any of them have ever heard, Fontaine retreated from the door and to his car, driving off into the rainy night.

But Atlas still didn’t feel so safe anymore, and he kept his grip on the golf club tight. He stared at the door for the better part of an hour. Until Ryan called to them that dinner was ready. Only then did Atlas move and look away from the door, though he still didn’t put down the golf club.

The calico was thankful that dinner was uneventful, with the only notable conversation being Ryan teaching Augustus to speak. That explained why he was already talking, he was being taught instead of picking it up from someone, or television shows, or computer cartoons. It was interesting, the way the former tuxedo seemed to naturally pick up on things.

“So will you be looking to transition?” The sudden question aimed at Atlas startled him a little. He looked up suddenly to look at Ryan, waiting a moment to speak.

“Oi’ll be honest, Oi dunno whot ya mean by transition.” He said honestly, blinking a little.

“Transition your body into one more... Masculine, so to speak.”

“Oi can do that?”

“I believe-”

“Oi’m gonna transition. Especially if it ticks Fontaine off.” Atlas went back to eating, now thinking about how he’d like to look like. Would being a cat previously affect the process of transition, whatever that was? Maybe, but it’d be worth it for sure.


	3. Impulses Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine must start planning about the cafe, but there's other topics that have to be addressed.

Ryan couldn’t believe it.

“You got another cat, after your last one ran away because he was scared of you? Really, Frank?” The man crossed his arms, giving the other a stern look.

“So I was browsing the internet and found this cutie, so what?” Fontaine said in his defense. “Just look how fluffy he is!”

The kitten, sure enough, was rather fluffy. He was a ragdoll, with a beautiful pale coat. His green eyes were some that would charm even the coldest of hearts.

“Then do you have a name this time? That will stick?”

“Course I do, Andy. Easy one, Jack, even I couldn’t forget that.” The smug look Fontaine gave made Ryan roll his eyes. He honestly didn’t believe that it would stay.

“He won’t become a catboy, will he?”

“Not ‘less we get desperate. But there’s plenty of strays around. I’m sure we could catch a few for the cafe.” Well, even Ryan could agree to that. It would probably somewhat help with the stray problem, too.

“Then let’s talk about this cafe. If you really believe it will be something that will make a lot of money, then I am more than sure you’ve put thought into it.” Ryan brought the mug of coffee to his lips, raising an eyebrow as he siped. He understood how serious his business partner was about making catboys, but he was skeptical about the cafe. Hell, he was skeptical about it being a money maker.

“I’ve thought about it enough,” Fontaine said, petting his new kitten. He glanced away from Ryan. “I have a rough concept in mind, but I have been trying to discuss it with you. Honestly, you seem disinterested in it.”

“Because I am, Frank. Especially after you harmed my cat and acted creepy towards your own. But I am willing to give you a chance to prove this is a good idea.”

“It is, Andy, trust me! Imagine the scene, a quaint lil’ building, with an outside seating area, pastel colors and cat decor. I mean, if we’re going to have a theme, after all, might as well go all out. Booths along the wall, a few tables here and there; a small space, but cozy, you feel?”

Ryan thought for a moment, then shrugged a little.

“I am not sure I ‘feel’ it, but I can imagine what you mean. Do you have any concept art for it? Have you looked for a building, for the furniture, for the decorations, for the colors?” Ryan moved his gaze from Fontaine’s unsure face to the kitten playing with the younger man’s hand. The cream colored cat was almost fully grown, but it was clear he was going to be a large cat. But he had manners to learn, as he bit on his owner’s hand with wide, playful eyes.

“Ow!” Fontaine cried out, pulling his hand away from Jack. “You dumb thing, don’t bite me!”

“Frank. That, is a kitten. He doesn’t understand what you say. He’s certainly not as intelligent as Atlas.” Ryan sipped his coffee again. The other man scrunched his face in irritation, but couldn’t argue. Kittens needed training, after all.

“I guess you’re right.” His hissed, though. Cleary, he didn’t appreciate his negative behavior being called out.

Ryan thought for a moment, before saying, “If we really are going to go through with this cat- or rather, catboy- cafe, I will need something from you.”

“Seriously? You’re already getting 60% of the revenue!”

“65% was the agreement.”

“Still more than me, Ryan! And now you want something else?”

“I want you to take anger management classes, Frank.” The older man’s serious tone made the other pause in surprise, then laugh. “I’m deathly serious, Frank- Frank! Listen to me!” The laughter died down to snickering, clearly not taking the demand seriously. “You have a serious issue, Frank. If we are going to continue turning animals into humans, you need to work on yourself. Your anger gets the better of you easily, and I worry how you’d take it if one of the cats were to refuse to listen. I will not take that chance. If we’re going through with this, you are going to anger management classes, whether you like it, or not.” 

“I’m the one with problems?” Frank’s expression darkened. “Really? I don’t have any such thing, Andrew. Frankly, quite offensive that you would say such a thing.”

Unamused, Ryan stood up, setting his mug of coffee aside. He went over to a wall in Frank’s apartment, and removed a few posters and pictures that were hanging there. Without the decor, the holes in the wall were clearly evident, put there through the apartment’s current owner. Frank looked embarrassed, glancing away from the evidence put in his lap.

“So I... May have taken my anger out on the wall once or twice.” Ryan took to counting each hole. “Maybe a few more than once or twice. I still don’t see your point, I’ve never taken it out on another person.”

“One of your charges in prison was for abusing your henchmen, Frank.”

“I’ve changed.”

“And I want you to change further. I don’t feel comfortable with you coming near the catboys with your anger issues. I don’t even like that you got another cat. So impulsively, at that.”

“It’s because I missed my dear kitty, Atlas.”

“I can assure you, he doesn’t miss you.” Ryan returned to his seat, taking a sip of his coffee. Fontaine’s face twisted in irritation. “All in all, I’m not too sure that this whole catboy cafe business wasn’t undertaken impulsively either. But it’s too far along at this point. There’s no going back anymore.”

“Of course there’s no going back! Me? Going back on somethin’ I spent thousands of dollars on? That’s ridiculous, Andy, I’d never. I’ll admit, it was an impulsive thing. But when I want something, I get it. One way, or another.” Fontaine sat back in his chair, giving a smug look as he brought a cigarette from his pants pocket. Sometimes, it amazed Ryan how the man acted, while being so smug and pretentious. “Now, uh, help me with the concept art? I’m sure you have more experience in this than me.”

“I’m sure about that, too.” Ryan sighed.


	4. Confidence Boosting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atlas does some reflection on both how he feels about Fontaine and the cafe, and how cute he is in that uniform. And also gets excited at the end c:

While Atlas didn’t quite agree with working for Frank Fontaine, he was still willing to give it a chance. He thought the whole aesthetic was just for Fontaine’s amusement. He’d seen what the man was into, after all. But the calico couldn’t complain about the uniform. It was a prototype, according to Ryan, but it was nice in Atlas’ mind. A little bland, really. If anything, it could use some more blue in it, that was all. Maybe for the puffy sleeves and the apron. With a binder on underneath- and wow did Ryan get a few of those fast- Atlas really liked how the outfit looked on his form.

Perhaps it was being a cat that skewed his perception of gender, he had only recently even learned what that was, after all, but Atlas didn’t understand Ryan’s gripes on the maid outfit being “too feminine.” It was a cute outfit, and the calico catboy felt cute in it. It made him feel very nice, in the same vein, though not as strong, as his own outfit with the blue jeans, white dress shirt, and black suspenders.

His tail swished behind him as he admired himself and his silhouette in the full body mirror tucked into the corner of his room. He twisted and turned to get a look at every inch of him, playing a bit with his pose and clothing. The more he looked, the more he liked. But a pale shade of blue to replace the white parts would absolutely look better. For sure, he would take this up with Ryan. And if Fontaine wanted to throw a hissy fit, then Atlas would just hiss back. That man wasn’t his owner anymore; Atlas had no owner. He was human, could think and communicate for himself.

“Ain’t you a handsome devil?” He said to his reflection, resting a forearm on the top of the lavish mirror. He chuckled to himself. “Ah, ya could get every cat in th’ back alley. Fer sure, fer sure.” He raised an eyebrow and smirked flirtatiously. “Oh, this lovely outfit? It’s a new thing. Lovely garb, fits me like a glove. For some dumb business this Fontaine fellows wants t’ build with my landlord, Ryan.” 

Atlas had to laugh at himself a bit, bringing his arm back to his side. He stepped back and looked at himself again. Then laughed again and shook his head. He was being silly, but honest. The outfit gave him a strange confidence boost, like any outfit he liked wearing. He really did feel handsome in it. More so than he usually did, if a few feelings about his body didn’t get in the way of it.

“Atlas!” Ryan called from down the hall. The calico jumped a little, fluffing out his tail and pressing his ears to his head, looking over to his bedroom door.

“Atlas! Your visit to the doctor that you wanted?” Oh right, the doctor’s visit!

“Jus’ a moment, gotta change!” The startle quickly washed away from the catboy. It got replaced with excitement. Quickly, the maid outfit was thrown off, with a casual outfit thrown on in haste. Atlas was still tucking in his shirt and he ran down the hall, past Andrew Ryan, and into the fancy car.

“Oi’m gonna get that testosterone stuff, roight?” He asked, enthusiasm bursting from every word he spoke, when the older man got into the car.

“It depends on how this visit goes.” Ryan replied matter of factly, not quite sharing Atlas’ enthusiasm. “It will take multiple visits for it to even have the effect you want.”

“Oi’m gonna get a deeper voice.” The calico sang out, half listening to the man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today, rip


	5. Nothing's Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, Atlas feels like a Fontaine that's just an inch taller. But really, he's far better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wholeheartedly was inspired by CynicalLion's comment on the third chapter of this fic, which was "Franky just needs someone willing to take his anger out on >.> Can't wait to watch the cafe come together!"
> 
> I just need to show that this is not a Frank we should be rooting for lol he's not a good guy.

_ He stared at the broken mirror. _

Angry eyes stared back.

_ Fontaine just grew angrier at the pain that assaulted his fist, opting to throw the shattered glass across the room. _

Atlas tensed, the pain in his fist was nagging, but hurting more wouldn’t do anything good. He kicked the glass into a small pile.

_ Fontaine howled, throwing a chair across the room instead of the mirror again. His cat ran to the closet, climbing up to the top shelf. But the scampering animal was not noticed by the enraged man. _

Atlas sighed. He was better than this. Clean up would have to wait, his hand needed medical attention at the moment. He headed to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit.

_ Fontaine looked around the trashed room. He dug his fingers into the bare skin of his head and growled in frustration. Now he would have to clean this mess up. That was for later, he needed a beer. Where was that stupid feline now? _

Atlas growled and hissed as the glass was plucked from his hand. He would need to clean this up, the best he could. There was no waiting around for this, it hurt. If only Ryan had given them a crash course on first aid. Though, maybe he could still get one, it would still be useful. Where was that hydrogen peroxide, wouldn’t that help?

_ Fontaine swore like a sailor when he opened the closet door. Some of his coats had claw marks in them, that lead a trail to the cowering feline the man had been looking for. He swore more, this time at the cat, demanding it to leave the closet. But it backed away, hissing and swiping at a hand that had glass peppered in the skin. That made Fontaine angrier. But he’d never hurt such a fragile creature. _

Atlas wrapped his hand, biting his tongue from yelling out. He didn’t want to let anyone know. He went back to his room, but found Augustus there, trying to play with the glass. Atas couldn’t help himself, for he yelled at the tuxedo cat to stop, to get out of his room. Augustus jumped, stepping barefoot on the shattered glass. It startled the older cat, and he leapt to the other side of the pile. His ears were down as he stared at the other in fear, but the calico would never hurt another creature.

_ Fontaine slammed the refrigerator door, causing the cat to jump. The apartment was a wreck, it would take a few days to properly clean up. Oh well, that could wait. The cap of the beer bottle was discarded on the floor. It was something that would have to be cleaned up with the rest. The cat approached it, however. Fontaine was this cat’s dear human, perhaps he could cheer him up? That was what humans did for each other, right? _

Atlas looked down at Augustus. He was still angry, but... That look the older cat gave him, it was heartbreaking.

“Oi’m sorry, Gus, really-” It was something he’d never heard from Fontaine, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t mean it himself. “Wait ‘ere, Oi’ll get ya th’ first aid kit, ok? Then we can play that game ya loike so much, alroight? But we gotta patch yer foot up first. An’... Oi really am sorry, lad.” Augustus nodded, and Atlas fetched the kit quickly. He was a fast worker, but worry surrounded him about what Ryan would think. Would he throw him out for this? Would he get angry like Fontaine did? He wasn’t a cat, he was a human. Would he hurt Atlas?

“It’s ok, son.” A soft hand patted Atlas’ shoulder. He hadn’t even realized how much he was apologizing. “I know how that Fontaine is. An’ I know it didn’t do ya any good to stick with him while you were given human smarts in a cat’s body.”

“Doesn’t make me screamin’ at ya roight, boyo.”

“No, but you realize it was wrong. You’re tryin’ to fix it.”

Atlas stopped for a moment. He nodded. He was trying to fix it, here and now.

“Yeah. Say, lad, why were ya playin’ with shards o’ glass? Dangerous stuff, ya really shouldn’t.”

“I didn’t realize it,” Augustus chuckled a little, causing the calico to relax a little. “I just got a little curious, that’s all. Want help cleanin’ it all up?”

“No no, it’s foine, Oi can get it. Ya should, uh, keep off yer foot, anyway.”

“The thought of tellin’ Andrew makin’ ya nervous?” Atlas’ voice caught in his throat, so all he could do was nod. “We’ll tell him together. Hey, hey, I ain’t mad, Atlas, it’s alright.”

“But Oi shouldn’t’ve done it!” He was close to tears.   
  


“Look at it this way, Atty,” Augustus purred, bringing his roommate in for a comforting hug, “Now that ya know this ain’t right, you can work on bein’ better. Maybe we can go online an’ find ya some better ways to express yourself, hm? You wanna do that?” Atlas shrugged, but nodded. He didn’t want to be another Fontaine. Far from. He wanted to be better, so much better. And he would be better.

And that started with cleaning up this mess.


	6. And Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank brings Jack over to Ryan's, and lets him loose while the two men have a business meeting. It does not end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Frank should not own cats lol. He's just gonna keep getting slapped by cats

Atlas was normally talkative. Ryan knew this well. And yet, for the past few days, he’d been sulking about nothing. Or at least, it was nothing in Ryan’s mind. Just a small outburst over Augustus playing with glass, it was understandable that a creature still grappling with emotions to overblow things. But even this was ridiculous. When Ryan told Atlas that Fontaine would be coming over for a business meeting, the calico merely scrunched up his face in disgust.

The businessman couldn’t understand it, but he also wasn’t the cat. Thinking about it more as he waited in the front room, eyeing Augustus on the couch with his partner, he also didn’t live with Fontaine for any amount of time at all. Just tolerated him for a few hours each week at most. A bit more now that they were planning out the cafe.

“Augustus, stop licking him,” Ryan said sternly, taking a drink of coffee in an effort to give him energy to deal with his younger business partner. “You know it will just give you a hairball.”

“Furball or not, he needs cleanin’.” It still baffled Ryan that Augustus had such an accent. “An’ how else am I supposed t’ clean him, hm?”

“Perhaps a bath. It’s better for the both of you.”

“A bath?! Outrageous! Those things are works of th’ devil himself, I tell ya. Horrible.” And the tuxedo cat proceeded to pout, turning up his nose at the mere suggestion of such blasphemy. Ryan just sighed, shaking his head.

“At least don’t let Frank catch you licking him. He’s a stray, after all. I don’t want him getting mad at you for doing what cats do.” Augustus nodded, picking up the huge Norweigian Forest cat. He proceeded to get up and hobble back to his room, hissing a little as he stepped on the foot that got sliced up by glass just a few days ago. They both knew it was ridiculous, but true, how angry Frank would get by a cat doing cat things. Just because they were suddenly in different bodies didn’t mean that suddenly their behaviors would change. But it didn’t seem to click in the bald man’s mind. Perhaps part of it was Atlas changing and already being able to speak and comprehend human things. But even that was odd, as the calico had been given injections previously that granted the poor kitty human level intelligence.

Ah, but that wasn’t the only thing about Fontaine that baffled old Ryan, so he decided not to bother thinking about it too much. Besides, he had other, more important things to think about regarding the catboys. Namely, what doctors to go to. Sure, he’d been taking Atlas to a human doctor for testosterone and related checkups, but what if he or Augustus got an ear infection? They were cat ears, so would it be a veterinarian? Naturally, a vet would be the best for their tails, but would it be the same for their teeth? They were pretty feline-like and sharp, but they were also rather human too. Oh, so many worries in regards to their health.

A knock broke into Ryan’s thoughts. A knock that he was waiting for. 

Freaking Fontaine... 

Ryan sighed and slipped off the bar stool of the counter island that separated the living room from the dining room. He straightened his suit jacket- for no good reason, this was Fontaine, they’d seen each other in worse states- and headed to the door. The man was surprised to see that his underling had actually prepared for once. And…Brought his kitten, too. Oh well, Ryan still had plenty of cat toys. The catboys still enjoyed playing with them, after all.

“Hey, Andy. Sorry I’m late, Jack was grumpy this morning.” Fontaine said as he was allowed to enter the house.

“That does not surprise me,” Ryan muttered, eyeing the carrier. The other man was quick to set the briefcase he carried aside so the kitten could be let out. Upon seeing Jack wore a collar with a large bow and a bell on it, the older man raised an eyebrow. Had Atlas running away really made him so lonely that he was willing to completely and utterly pamper this ragdoll kitten?

“I thought that, since Atlas gave us the surprise of being trans, I’d better not be too concrete in gender stereotypes with lil’ Jackie.” Fontaine purred. Little wasn’t exactly a term that could be used for the ragdoll, considering how large he turned out to be, with and without that thick, fluffy coat.

“Wait, what do you mean with that, Frank?” It had registered a moment later than it should’ve in Ryan’s man what his partner had said. “I believe you told me we would not be turning him into a catboy unless necessary. And Atlas said it himself, cats do not hold a concept of gender.”

“Well, you never know what will happen.” Was a swift, clearly rehearsed reply. Ryan hated when Fontaine acted like this.

“Do not dodge questions with me. We are not turning a kitten into a catboy.”

“Ryan, that’s not the plan. I give ya my word. We won’t go scramblin’ ‘round in this kit’s egg salad 'less we have to. Strays from here on out.” Fontaine gave a sickly sweet smile, not entirely truthful. If Ryan was in the mood to argue, he would’ve pushed it. But he was tired of this cafe stuff already. Atlas and Augustus acted like a mix of teenagers and adults, which drained Ryan to his very core sometimes. He didn’t want to argue where he could avoid it.

“Fine, fine,” He rubbed a hand over his face, watching Fontaine take a toy from the carrier and offer it to Jack. This caring attitude wouldn’t last, they both knew it. No denying it would be good while it lasted, though.

“Speaking of catboys,” Fontaine hummed, standing up, “Where’s our boys?”

“Avoiding you specifically out of spite.”

The Bronx man let out a soft growl, but nodded.

“Very well. You win some, you lose some.” Ryan rolled his eyes at the comment, he just wanted to get this business meeting over with. Why he still bothered with Fontaine was merely a matter of profits, their friendship was superficial at best.

As the men got their meeting underway, they lost track of curious little Jack. Little only being used in an age term, he really was a rather large cat. He was an explorer, carrying with him a plastic ball that contained a little bell proudly as he wandered about Andrew Ryan’s large mansion. It was all amazing to the ragdoll, as he looked around. At one point, he hopped up on a hallway table, knocking over a small wax lamp that, luckily for the cat, wasn’t plugged in. Nor, luckily, did the ceramic shatter upon impact. The thud still startled Jack, however, and he jumped down and ran into a nearby room. Which was a bathroom where Augustus was bathing his unnamed stray cat partner, who was enjoying the water.

This sight intrigued Jack. He dropped his toy, and meandered over to the bathtub.

“Oh, well, hello,” Augustus hummed, looking over to the new cat as he scrubbed down the stray’s filthy coat. It was clear the animal had been on the street for most, if not all, of his life. The shallow water he was enjoying was slightly off color from all the dirt. The scrubbing that the stray was also enjoying caught Jack's attention; he wanted that.

The ragdoll leaned down to sniff the bath water. He wasn't too sure about entering it to steal away Augustus' attention from the stray, but he most certainly would try. Jack dipped a paw into the water, but quickly pulled it away and shook it off. It drew a friendly chuckle from Augustus.

"Ah, I feel the same," he said, "Water's meant for drinkin', and nothin' much else." Jack mewed back, rubbing up to his shoulder. "What? Son, I'm a tad busy, an' my hands are wet. My friend here needed a bath, you know?" The tuxedo catboy proceeded to continue washing the stray, and Jack did not like that. He was hardly ever ignored, and he would not stand for this.

The ragdoll looked between the stray and the strange looking human. Loudly, he meowed, but only got the same response from Augustus. So his gaze steadied onto the wet stray, and he growled. Both the stray and Augustus stopped to look at Jack, both clearly confused. Again, Jack rubbed against Augustus' shoulder, but the man recoiled.

"No, not after ya growled like that. It's rude, kid, very rude." Augustus let out a growl of his own. Jack was far from happy at this, and dared to swipe at the stray. Who, in turn, swiped back with a yowl. The ragdoll was not to be deterred, jumping into the bath to battle. But the stray was a pacifist type, and he jumped onto a panicking and confused Augustus, knocking him over. Jack chased him out, following the stray down the hall.

The Norwegian forest cat raced to the front room, scrambling up a cat tree for an advantage over Jack, who chased him, stopping at a level just under the poor stray. He hissed at the stray.

"Frank! Get your cat!" Ryan called out in shock. Fontaine, too, was in shock, so it took him a moment to process the command. But he complied, grabbing his cat from the cat tree, only to be rewarded with said cat clawing the man's cheek, drawing a dribble of blood.

Augustus came out soon after with a towel, picking up and wrapping the stray in serious concern that Ryan also shared.

"Frank, what the hell was that?!" He demanded of his business partner.

"Well, I don't know, sure looked like a cat fight, Ryan."

"Cat fight!? Your thing attacked my friend!" Augustus chimed in, his ears down and tail swishing. "I was tryin' to give him a bath, and your cat wandered on in and swiped at him!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Fontaine spat. "Jackie would never!"

"He lives with you! I think it's more likely he would!"

"But that's a stray, how do you know he wouldn't start anything? I doubt anyone has taken him into the vet to keep kittens off the street." Augustus gasped, taking offence for his own partner.

"How dare you strike so low?! He's an absolute sweetheart, he's never started fights before! I bet that thing's got the same anger issues you gave poor Atlas." The tuxedo cat hissed, holding the forest cat close to his chest.

"Enough." Ryan commanded. "Frank, we'll continue this meeting another time, but I do not want an untrained feline in my house."

Fontaine understood from his tone, Ryan was not about to argue about this. He sighed and humphed, putting Jack in his carrier and packing up the briefcase. Swiftly, the man and the cat left.

Ryan sighed and rubbed his face. Why, oh, why did he still bother with that man?


	7. Everything's Ok

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling a little left out, the stray the likes to hang out around Ryan's house decides he wants to be a catboy, too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, currently, my favorite chapter to have written so far. I hope you see why. I had so much fun writing it

The stray Norwegian forest cat couldn't sleep.

He laid there on Augustus' chest in the night. Despite the night's insomnia, he couldn't bring himself to abandon his spot. The stray was far from a dumb alley cat, he understood many things. One of those being that his mate no longer could be his mate. They could not effectively communicate. They were separate species and he worried that would create a rift between them. The stray knew just how busy humans could be, he's lived in this town for years.

He didn't like it at all.

He wanted to stay with Augustus, but not as a pet. He knew how painful the transformation was for his mate, but wouldn't it be worth it? To be able to be with him like they had before that Frank Fontaine interfered? In the stray's mind, it absolutely would. Though, in much more simple terms, because he didn't possess human level intelligence. Well, not like that was required to know that that man ruined everything he touched in regards to cats.

The stray raised his head in thought. If he wanted this, was it really ruining him? Perhaps in a way, but at least this would be consensual for once. It would probably be the only one, honestly. In that moment, the forest cat made up his tiny mind. He was going to do this. He was going to be Augustus' mate again.

First was to pay that stuck up jerk a visit.

He checked on Augustus before sneakily creeping off of the catboy's chest, then hopped onto the bed's headboard to reach the opened window. Left open specifically for him. How lucky! Oh, even now, Augustus knew him so well. Silently, he slinked out of the house, and made his way to Fontaine's apartment. Seeing as to how he lived in town his entire life, the stray knew the streets like the back of his paw. All the back alleys and shortcuts. It was soon that the stray was on Fontaine's fire escape.

Second part, how to get into the apartment?

The stray lacked any thumbs to open the window. If he tried the front door somehow, no doubt Fontaine wouldn't let him in.

...

Or would he?

If the stray attempted to mimic human traits, such as walking on two legs, perhaps Fontaine would understand and turn him human. Isn't that what the man wanted? Cats to turn into humans for some strange reason? Well, this stray would gladly volunteer. Then raises the problem of getting inside the apartment building and knocking on the door, both were problems. Perhaps that idea would be scrapped. ... Or modified.

The stray hopped over to the window that led into Fontaine's apartment. He braced himself, and stood on his hind legs. Attempting to knock, however, he found that the sound was awfully soft. Of course, his paws were nothing like the knuckles humans possessed. Well, that made the situation that much more difficult.

He slinked back to the fire escape to think. There had to be something he could use to knock on the window, surely. His forehead came to mind, but he didn't want to risk hurting himself. Briefly, the idea of attempting to "bite" the window to knock came to mind, but that was just ridiculous. It would likely make him look hostile, especially after the encounter with that other cat he had.

Now that he thought about it, would it try to attack the stray again? This was that ragdoll's territory, so... It probably would be territorial. Ugh, obstacles. It just made the stray wish he was human more, because then these things would be so much easier. They always seemed to have things much easier than cats did. In part, that excited the stray. Life had always been hard for him, living in alleys. Up until he met Augustus. Then, and especially after Ryan accepted him, life did become easier, but it still wasn't as easy as humans seemed to have it.

The forest cat shook his head, he needed to focus on figuring out how to knock on the window. He looked around the fire escape, looking for something like a stick to use. If he had that in his mouth, he could shake his head and-

"What are you doin' here?" Fontaine asked, holding his angry cat with the window partially open. In response, the stray stood up and meowed a hello, trying to make it sound as close to the word as he possibly could. Though, it didn't sound even a small bit like a hello. He likely should've practiced it. Luckily, though, Fontaine seemed to get the same idea that had been plaguing the stray. If he understood that's what the cat wanted, that was a different story. He smiled, leaving the window open, as he went and shut Jack in the bathroom to prevent any fights.

At that, the forest cat happily wandered into the apartment. Looking around, it looked sort of nice, but could use some tidying up. He looked around more, trying to spot the briefcase that he remembered from the day Fontaine messed everything up.

"Well, now," Fontaine purred, "I've been waiting to turn you. Bet you'd be absolutely handsome, heh. Some lean guy, probably around average height, hm? Atlas and Augusuts, they're both short. ... Granted, not as short as me. But still, I'm a short guy, that's all. Oh, but you'd be a great one. Look at all that fur..." He picked up the cat, and the stray gave an excited meow. The man took the stray to another room, where he brought out the briefcase. Another excited noise escaped the forest cat, this was just what he wanted, which seemed to surprise Fontaine.

"What, you want this?" He playfully asked. Naturally, the stray couldn't understand or respond, but he did want this. He wanted to be with Augustus. Frank just shrugged and shut the door behind him. Opening the briefcase that held the needles, the stray was practically vibrating from excitement.

But when Fontaine held a needle in his hand, he gave pause. Ryan wouldn't like this, would he? The man knew he was already on thin ice, but the cat seemed to want it. Did he dare?

...

Yeah, he did. Especially when the stray bit at the syringe.

With a shrug, Fontaine slipped the needle beneath the stray's skin.

The stray was surprised at the pain that shot through his body. Fontaine was surprised at just how big the stray ended up after the transformation. 

The bald man barely even came up to the stray's chest when he stood up. No wonder he could take it better than Atlas and Augustus. The sheer mass of the guy, it was clear it was muscle, he was surely very strong. A far cry from what was expected... but certainly not unwelcome.

The stray investigated his hands, flipping them over and checking out every inch. Fontaine was rather surprised at all the scars that littered the catboy's body. He's certainly seen his fair share of fights.

Fontaine took a step back. He certainly didn't have any clothing that would fit. He didn’t even know where to look, considering the stray had to be at least 7 feet tall. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, not at all. The Bronx man swore under his breath and quickly dialed his cell phone to Ryan. A quick chewing out would be worth it, Fontaine needed his help.

The stray wasn’t listening to the man’s squabbling, he was too busy checking out his new body. He never realized just how many scars he had. But he didn’t think much of it, because his chest swelled with excitement. The forest cat could feel his face contorting into a huge, goofy smile. Augustus would be amazed, he was sure of it.

Other emotions swirled around in his chest, too, though the excitement overwhelmed them all. Happiness, that he could be with Augustus again. Relief, that he didn’t need to stay on the streets anymore. Fear, of what the future would hold. Anxiety, towards what the humans would think of him. It was a lot more complex than anything the stray had ever felt before, but it made him even more excited. He continued to look over his body, watching as his muscles rippled and moved beneath his skin as he flexed and stretched and twisted and moved all about. He was having so much fun, the stray hadn’t even noticed when Fontaine returned to the room, still on the phone with Ryan. He wasn’t listening at all when he decided to try out his thumbs, and pick up a lamp.

He could notice that his eyes dilated as the lamp was lifted.

The stray had a newfound power. He didn’t need to pick up things with his mouth or both paws anymore. The excitement in his chest swelled even more as he set the lamp down. He picked up a small trinket, some weird looking figurine, and looked it over his hand. He picked up a different trinket, another figurine, and looked between his two hands that held a strange figurine each. It was amazing. He could do things that humans could do! Like knock! Though, that wasn’t a problem right now, but it still was a thought that excited him. He set down the figurines and knocked on the table. The stray bounced a bit at that, the excitement in his large chest, it needed to be let out. The stray needed to run around, to play.

Suddenly, Fontaine caught the forest catboy’s attention when he stepped further into the room. He began to say something about Ryan, but it wasn’t like the stray knew that much English yet. So instead, he dropped to his hands and feet, his eyes wide and dilated, and Fontaine had never felt so much fear in one moment before. Not even in the shootout he had once that left him in the hospital before his trial.

The bald man swallowed dryly to gather the courage to speak.

“Uh, good boy?” He stuttered out, slowly backing to the wall. “Y-Yeah, good boy, no... no need to get all riled up, eh? Nah, no reason to.” He tried. But cats don’t care for reasoning, so the stray hunkered down into a pouncing position.

Frank Fontaine was far from a religious man, but in that moment he prayed to anything that could listen that he would not be hurt this fine, eventful night. Unfortunately for him, no one was listening, and the stray jumped at him, taking the man down to the ground with such force that neither, the stray especially, expected.

~~~

Atlas spat out his drink, laughing until his sides hurt. Augustus attempted to stifle his laugh to avoid the gaze Ryan was drilling into the calico next to him.

“That’s how you broke yer arm?!” Atlas asked loudly, howling still. Fontaine looked at him with a deadpan, bordering on angry, expression.

“Yes.” The man hissed his response, a snake giving a warning to his taunter. At that, Augustus could no longer hold in his own laughter, joining with Atlas. The stray, however, just tilted his head with a clueless smile. He decided he liked hearing his mate laughing like that.

“Frank, I know I have already scolded you, but really. You had given me your word as to no more catboys until we had the building for the cafe in our possession. If you keep acting like this, I will pull out. It’s reckless and dangerous, and I, for one, will not stand by it.” Ryan’s gaze bore holes into the only other human in the room, crossing his arms like a father scolding a misbehaving child. 

“But he wanted it, Ryan. I didn’t think he’d become... This.” Fontaine motioned to the huge man standing next to Augustus, fully clothed now, with his non-broken arm, his broken one stuck in a cast and sling. It had been a few days since his transformation, and he was taking to being human rather well.

“Frank,” It was Ryan’s turn to hiss as he pinched the ridge of his nose. “We need to be careful. Do you struggle to understand that? If so, which part? This is nothing like running a gang, we cannot be impulsive and angry here-”

“You can’t be impulsive an’ angry in a gang, either! And it wasn’t a gang, Andy, it was an organized crime syndicate.”

“I do not care for such trivial definitions, Frank! For god's sake, listen to me for once! Stop it! Stop all of this! Focus on the building, Frank, focus on the decorations and menu! The important things! Then we can deal with getting a staff together and trained!”

Everyone stopped. Ryan rarely got so heated as to raise his voice like this, to yell at another man. He ran his hands through his hair, turning partly away from his business partner to utter something in Russian. With a sigh, his hands dropped back to his side.

“Why?” He genuinely asked Fontaine after a very uncomfortable moment of silence. “Why do you insist on being so reckless?” The Bronx man couldn’t answer, and Ryan just shook his head, tacking on a “I’m taking the cats, and we’re not going through with this cafe.”

“Ryan, please, I’ll-”

“You’ve pushed me too far, Frank,” Ryan cut him off sternly, “And I am at my wit's end with you. You have refused to take those anger management classes, you continue to break your promises, you’ve only just now begun to plan out the building. I cannot work with you on this project. Find another investor. I am done. So very done.”

“One more chance?”

“That you will abuse? Just like all the other chances I gave you? No. As far as I am concerned, no. I want no part in this absurd-”

“Give him one more, Ryan.” Atlas butted in, crossing his arms. “Lad’s gotten ‘is scare, maybe ‘e’ll finally behave. But I don’t trust him as far as I could throw a feather. I don’t want him out of my sight.” There was a pause, and Ryan took it to consider.

“I will sleep on it.” Was the only response as he left the living room. Fontaine took it as his cue to leave, too, clearly seething. They all knew that Atlas had been completely transparent in his reasoning, he didn’t want another cat ending up in a similar situation as he did, but there was a hint, ever so slight hint of gratitude in the icy eyes of Frank Fontaine. The sudden tension drove Augustus to hug his mate, who happily hugged back to comfort him.

“Let’s hope he changes.” Augustus muttered.

“If he doesn’t wanna change, then let ‘em burn.” Atlas looked to the side.

“Do you really want him to stay?”

“Of course I don’t. Puts me on edge to have him in th’ same house as me. But I don’t want him to hurt Jack like ‘e did me, even if it wasn’t physically. I don’t trust him, but I want to tabs on th’ lad. After all, not like we want wee lil’ Jack to be stuck alone with that man after he decides he can’t wait for strays.”

“You have a good point.”


End file.
